Hollow-clay structural unit



' May 18 1926. 1,584,988

0. c. MCCORMICK HOLLOW CLAY STRUCTURAL UNIT Original F iled August 5, 1921 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYJ' Patented May 18, 1926.

I Nl'lE srars rear Fries.

.OSCAB C. MCCORMICK, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO; MAUDE W. MCCORMICK AD- MINISTRATRIX OF SAID OSCAR C. MCCORMICK, DECEASED.

HOLLOVf-CLAY STRUCTURAL UNIT.

Application filed August 3, 1921, Serial No. 489,427. Renewed October 28, 1925.

I am aware that attempts have heretofore been made to provide a brick of twice the size of the standard brick, i. e., so as to be the equivalent of two bricks laidside by side, the idea being that the laying of a wall should be correspondingly expedited and the construction cost decreased. In all such designs of brick, however, the convenience of the mason, who is naturally habituated to handling standard brick, has been ova"- looked, with the result that such large size brick have not accomplished the saving expected. In connection with most such designs, moreover, it has been necessary to use brick of standard size at corners and to finish olf door and window openings, wit-h the result that a considerable loss is entailed in having to provide and handle two different kinds of building material on a job.

The objectof the present invention is to provide a form of hollow brick of twice the size of the present standard brick in its horizontal dimensions, the openings in the brick extending vertically so as not merely to provide an insulating wall, but one ca.- pable of being ventilating as well. A further object is to provide a brick of the largest size just referred to that may be split into two bricks of standard size just as readily as an ordinary brick is split, by means of a masons trowel or hammer.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invent-ion, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a brick embodying my present improved features of construction; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a broken half section of such brick correspond ing in its dimensions with a brick of standard size; and Fig. 3 is partly a side elevation and partly a vertical section through several courses of a wall laid up with brick of my improved design.

My improved brick is designed to be formed by an extrusion process similar to that by which building block or tile are made, and will obviously'be of square crossdistance so as to provide three transversely disposed chambers, with which the layer of mortar 9, in which the bricks are laid, may interlock, as shown in Fig. 3. The transverse partitions 3 are preferably united by a cross-web 8, and similar cross-webs 5, 5 unite the respective partitions 4 with the adjacent end walls 1.

Notches or scores 6, 6 are formed in said web 8 and, other similar notches or scores 7, 7, aligned therewith, are formed with inwardly directed faces of the front and back walls 2 between partitions 3. As a result, the brick may be readily broken or split on a transverse line passing through said scores 6, 6 and 7 7 so as to provide a half brick, i. e., one of approximately the size of a standard brick, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Ordinarily three of the side faces of the brick will be scratched and one left plain as at 10, the face thus left plain being one of the end faces 1.

In assembling my improved brick into a wall it will be observed in the first place that the transverse partitions 3 provide a convenient handle, so to speak, whereby the brick may be picked up and placed by the mason with his left hand, no unnecessary turning of the'wrist being involved. The mortar between the courses will extend into, and interlock with, the openings between partitions 3, or partitions i, and the respec tive end walls 1 as the case may be, as shown in Fig. 3. In every other respect the laying of the brick will be the same as in the case of brick of standard dimensions. The as sembled wall, however, it will be observed is formed with a plurality of vertically extending hollow passages that not only serve as insulating means to prevent the transmission of heat or cold through the wall, but also are readily adaptable for ventilating the wall, it only being necessary for this purpose that such passages be left open, or that openings be broken into the same at the bottom and top of the wall.

Other forms may be employed embodying the features of my invention instead of the one herein explained, change being made in the form or construction, provided the elements stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated elements be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. A structural unit of the character described, comprising a rectangular hollow brick equal in its over-all dimensions to two standard bricks laid side by side, the opening in said brick extending vertically and said brick having a double transverse partition located midway between the ends of such opening and a single partition located adjacent to but spaced from each such end, the side walls of the brick being vertically scored on a line between the parts of said middle partition.

2. A structural unit of the character described comprising a rectangular hollow brick formed with a vertically extending opening, and having a double transverse partition located midway between the ends of such opening, the parts of said double partition being parallel with said ends and being united together by a cross web, and a single partition located adjacent and parallel to but spaced from each such end said single partitions being similarly united to the corresponding end walls of the brick.

3. A structural unit of the character described, comprising a rectangular hollow brick equal in its over-all dimensions to two standard bricks laid side by side, the opening in said brick extending vertically and said brick having a double transverse partition located midway between the ends of such opening and a single partition located adjacent to but spaced from each such end, the side walls of the brick being vertically scored on a line between the parts of said middle partition, and such parts being united by a sin'iilarly scored cross-web.

Signed by me, this 29th day of July, 1921.

OSCAR C. McCORUICK. 

